The present invention relates to the firing of projectile devices and specifically to electronic means for firing such devices.
Archery, for both hunting and target practice remains a popular pastime and competitive sport. New developments in the past few decades have added increased appeal to the sport. For example, compound bows allow additional power for shooting.
Traditionally the archer would draw the bowstring by the fingers. The difficulty of releasing the string in a uniform manner has lead to the development of a wide variety of release aids. The objective of such release aids is to achieve uniform release of the bowstring and to relieve the tension on the fingers that results in fatigue and even long term injury to the fingers.
Such release aids typically have a jaw at the end of the aid that closes over the bowstring and holds it securely during the draw and aim. A trigger links to the jaw so that actuation of the trigger by the archer""s finger or thumb opens the jaw and releases the string. The release aid disclosed in Scott, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,850,825 and 5,765,536 is typical of such release aids.
With the removal of the inconsistencies of string release, some of the variables in drawing and releasing the bowstring are minimized, with a consequent improvement of accuracy of shooting.
The progress in evolution of release aids has been toward ever more sensitive trigger action, to the point at which no discernible motion of the trigger occurs to achieve release. Only a slight finger or thumb pressure is required to actuate a pre-cocked trigger action.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,269 discloses the introduction of a delayed electrical signal upon triggering the device, which subsequently actuates the release. The objective in that case is to introduce a time delay that would overcome the natural anticipatory flinching occurring upon pulling the trigger. The means for actuating the release is a finger actuated trigger.
A second electrical variation is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,957, in which a shoulder and waist harness hold the bowstring retainer at a fixed distance from the archer""s face, and hand grips attached to the riser of the bow (i.e., the body of the bow holding 2 flexing limbs) permit the imparting of tension (drawing) to the bow by pressing forward with both hands. This patent proposes to effect release of the bowstring by means of an electrical switch actuated by one finger, which closes an electrical circuit to some actuating device that releases the string. Here too the actuating device is not described further than reference to it as a solenoid.
In even the most advanced of these designs, there is still required muscle action of the fingers or thumb of the same hand that is striving to acquire and maintain aim on the target. This distracts from the steadiness of hold on the target and is familiar to every archer as deflection, or flinching at the moment of release, with consequent degradation of accuracy of the shot.
The objects are achieved through an apparatus in which a projectile firing device is actuated using a hands free actuation device. Because the hands of the device user do not trigger the firing of the device, improved aim of the projectile firing device is obtained.
In one embodiment, this device is part of a projectile firing device having a firing mechanism. The device includes a hands-free switch that is activated by the user to send a signal. This signal is received by a firing mechanism, which than automatically fires a projectile device.
In one embodiment, this device is an apparatus for release of a bowstring. The device includes a jaw configured to hold a bowstring. The jaw is mechanically linked to a trigger such that actuation of the trigger opens the jaw, releasing the bowstring. A motor is mechanically linked to the jaw trigger (by a trip lever, wind-up spindle, or other linking means), such that activation of the motor actuates the trigger, opening the jaw and releasing the bowstring. A hands-free actuator (i.e. an actuator which is operated by the user of a projectile firing device without use of this persons hands or arms) is linked to the motor such that a signal is sent to the motor to activate the motor.
In one embodiment, this actuator is a bite-activated switch held in the archer""s mouth. The archer may bite down on the switch, making an electrical connection that activates the motor. Wires to the motor, providing a device that is relatively small and simple to manufacture, may directly link this bite-activated switch.